One of the most important extreme metal festivals in the country, Setembro Negro , returns with a special edition between September 2nd and 4th at Carioca Club, in São Paulo.
The event, now in its 14th edition, will bring more than 30 extreme metal bands to the capital of São Paulo, and Wikimetal had the opportunity to interview the Norwegian group Helheim.
Formed in 1992 in Bergen, Norway, Helheim became known for its blend of black metal and elements of Viking culture. The themes of their lyrics revolve around Norse mythology.
Helheim's lineup features H'grimnir (vocals and guitar), V'gandr (vocals and bass), Reichborn (guitar), and Hrymr (drums).
Check out the full interview with V'gandr's founder, vocalist, and bassist!
Helheim will perform on Saturday the 3rd, from 4:35 PM to 5:15 PM. Tickets for Setembro Negro 2022 are already on sale at the Clube do Ingresso website . Prices range from R$250 to R$1,400 – the latter being a three-day pass for the VIP area.
Wikimetal: Hello, how are you? First, thank you for taking the time for this interview! To start, for those who are just getting to know the band, could you tell us a little about the band, your sound, and how you got here?
V'gandr: Everything's fine here. Relaxing with some red wine and King Crimson . Helheim has been around since 1992. We've released 11 albums and 2 demos, done a few mini-albums and some split-release stuff. How do we sound? Well, that's not easy to answer, as we've varied a lot over the years. I think people should listen for themselves [to our discography] and form their own opinion.
WM: Can you talk a little about the concept behind your latest album, WodridaR (2021), and what your creative process was like?
V: WoduridaR consists of 8 tracks that are not connected to each other. It's a very diverse album, where we touch on many genres, but mainly the raw aspect and severity of the north is the focal point musically and lyrically. The creative process was as usual, where H'grimnir and I performed the songs, and together as a band, we put everything together through a lot of trial and error.
WM: When you look back on your career, how do you see the black metal and extreme music scene now?
V: It's definitely very different from the 90s, for better and for worse (especially the latter). Personally, I don't follow the scene as much as I used to, because I really like things from the 80s/90s, but there are certainly some gems here and there. The obscurity and clandestine aura of black metal aren't the same. It's a more accepted genre than it used to be, and that's fine, of course. Although it also means it loses its original value. I might sound very nostalgic, but that's how I feel.
WM: How do you see the role of music, and especially black metal, in current political issues? How can we use music to shed light on some of these topics?
V: I don't think BM and politics should be mixed.
WM: What are your musical and lyrical influences these days?
V: Musically? Well, I can't answer that, because I only create what I feel. Lyrically, it's still the veneration of the Norse and their runes.
WM: You're coming to Brazil in September. What can people expect from your show at the festival?
V: Yes, and man, we're really looking forward to it. I've been to Brazil a few times with Taake and I love your country. I hope that those who have liked us before have an amazing experience, and those who are new to us as well. I like to consider us a good and interesting live act, so let's hope the Brazilian maniacs think the same. We're definitely not your average band, that's for sure.
WM: Thank you for the interview! Do you have any final words or anything to add for our readers?
V: Thank you for the interview, and I hope that those who read this will listen to our music and come to Septembro Negro and bring the energy we so crave. Until then…
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